Q: Dear Ethics Lawyer, Because I’m an extremely hip lawyer… and will do it for free, StreamingCourtNews called me to video comment on a long-running celebrity case for its site. Perhaps getting carried away in the moment, I expressed the view that the judge seems to enjoy the limelight and could be providing unconstitutionally disparate treatment of the criminal defendant based upon how many TV cameras the defendant’s fame has attracted and the judge’s well-known ambition to be nominated for the appellate court. I realize this means I probably won’t find favor in this judge’s court in the future, but now I’m wondering, is this something I could actually be disciplined for?
Continue Reading March 15 Issue – Judicial CriticismThe twice-monthly “Dear Ethics Lawyer” column is part of a training regimen of the Legal Ethics Project, authored by Mark Hinderks, former managing partner and counsel to an AmLaw 200 firm. Read More
March 2022
March 1 Issue – Company and Employee as Joint Clients
By Mark Hinderks on
Q: Dear Ethics Lawyer, I represent a company in an employment suit. A vice president of the company is named as a party, along with the corporation. Knowing the company would be vicariously liable for the VP’s actions anyway, with the company general counsel’s approval, I entered an appearance for both parties to obtain an extension of time, and then interviewed witnesses. In his interview, the VP immediately confessed to me that he made a sexual advance on the claimant. What now? Can I continue the representation?
Continue Reading March 1 Issue – Company and Employee as Joint Clients